


strength to gift unto others help & hope

by BlueFairyKino



Series: Protectors of Life [2]
Category: Etrian Odyssey Series, 新・世界樹の迷宮 ミレニアムの少女 | Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
Genre: Multi, guys i swear simon's my fav ok just listen, raquna isn't here at first she'll come in later i promise, time to make the OTHER sibling cry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFairyKino/pseuds/BlueFairyKino
Summary: Those with an aquamarine-colored aura are said to be naturally reliable. They hold within them a natural desire to support others, in whichever way they are possibly able.And yet, even those with the brightest aquamarine aura must occasionally, in turn, lean on another's shoulder.(In which a 14-year-old boy, left without a home or a family, tries to achieve his ideal level of reliability.)
Series: Protectors of Life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1181684
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. all you can do is survive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a day seemingly like any other, the world seems to end.
> 
> And for a good while, all they can do is try to survive.
> 
> (In which, after losing everything, two certain boys try to make their way to safety.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so i know people sometimes don't pay attention to the "canon" ages but if simon is 24 during the game and the gotham thing happened 10 years beforehand that means he was 14 when he witnessed the death of his family and destruction of his hometown is that fucked up or what-
> 
> this is meant to go alongside mira's fic, and while u can read these in rly any order, some things that happen between the siblings are only gonna be gone over in one fic (namely the reunion but we'll get there when we get there)

For a few moments, Simon couldn't exactly tell what was going on. From what he could tell, he'd just woken up after... _something_ happened.

And the sounds of fire and scent of smoke didn't paint a good picture.

As he slowly became more aware of himself and his surroundings, he attempted to think back. Last he remembered, he had been reading up in his room...then Mira had called for him to come downstairs, so he'd been making his way there...

Then...

_That light..._

Yes, a light has suddenly flashed outside the window, and then everything had started shaking, and _then_...

All of a sudden, everything seemed to _click_ in his head, and Simon frantically glanced around. From what he could tell, he had been face-down on the floor before he woke, was surrounded by rubble, and a large piece of debris had fallen over top of him. Large enough to completely cover him, but seemingly supported by other pieces in such a way that it didn't crush him. Likely, it was what shielded him from... _whatever_ it was that did this.

Fortunately, it wasn't too hard to move, and he was easily able to push it off and sit up, despite the lingering ache in his body.

Unfortunately, the sight that greeted him when he did so seemed to only make things _worse_.

In place of the town of Gotham was nothing but debris and flames. Some buildings only had one wall standing, some were nothing but rubble, some seemed to not even be _there_ anymore. The previous scent of smoke was now accompanied by the smell of blood and burning flesh. It made him feel sick just by _breathing_.

_Mira, his parents, someone had to be here they **had to-**_

He quickly turned to look behind him.

Only to see his mother, face first on the ground, with a large piece of rubble crushing her legs and blood pooling around her head.

"A-Ah..."

Somehow, someway, Simon managed to stand, though his shaking legs threatened to bring him right back down again. If his mom was in that state ~~(dead, she was dead, there was no denying it at this point not with all the _blood)_~~ , there was _no way_ anyone else survived. Their house was large, which only made for more debris, which meant that _somewhere_ under this mess were their-

He managed to hold down the sudden wave of nausea from the mere _thought_ , before beginning to run.

He wasn't sure where he was trying to go, exactly. As far as he knew, the entire _world_ could be like this now, and he could be the sole survivor walking this barren wasteland. And yet, something deep in him told him to keep going, keep moving, find _some way to survive._

Or, at least, just get away and try to erase the image of his mother's corpse from his head.  


.....

It was some small amount of time later that he heard something.

It took a bit of listening over the flames, but eventually, Simon could make out what sounded like...crying? Calling out? It was faint, but it was there, and it was nearby. Following the noises led to the ruins of a house, with a large pile of rubble sitting up next to a quickly-crumbling wall.

_There._

Fueled by the desire to keep at least _one_ other life from fading to... _whatever_ was happening, Simon quickly moved forward towards the pile. It took time and energy, but eventually, he managed to break through.

Curled up beneath the mess was a young boy, no older than _six_ , at the most. His head of messy blonde hair had a dark patch that was all-too-clearly blood, and his deep blue eyes were staring up at Simon, both in curiosity and fear.

Careful to not scare the poor kid further, he carefully kneeled down. "Are you ok?"

A pause, then a small nod.

"Does your head hurt?"

He was quiet for a moment...then...

"...a lil'."

Slowly, Simon moved his hand forward. The boy didn't seem too frightened of him, luckily. In fact, he quietly moved his head forward, as if he had some sort of idea of what the other was trying to do.

The injury wasn't terrible. There was definitely a heavy blow to the head, and who _knows_ what that caused, but the injury itself could be treated fairly easily right now.

His own shirt was already fraying at the seams, so, carefully, he easily ripped off a sizable portion from the hem, then began wrapping it around the wound. It was a shoddy, makeshift bandage, but it'd work for now. At the very least, it'd help stem the bleeding a little.

"Feel better?"

A silent nod.

"Is there anyone else around here?"

"Nuh-uh."

_Figures._

"...my name's Simon. What's yours?"

The child went quiet again, glancing away.

".....Arthur...I-I think."

...it was like he feared. That head wound must have resulted in some kind of amnesia. Whether or not he could _recover_ from it was yet to be seen, but-

A sudden burst of fire behind him made both boys jump. The situation was growing worse by the _second_ , and if they didn't hurry, they'd get caught up in it.

"Do you think you can stand?"

Arthur bit his lip, then made an attempt to lift himself up, only to stumble almost as _soon_ as he did so. Simon quickly caught him, then carefully turned himself around, motioning for the other to get on. It took a bit of maneuvering, but eventually, he managed to get the smaller boy up on his back.

With Arthur's arms clinging to him, and no idea of what would happen next, he continued forward.

~~(for a moment, he thought he saw a dim flash of light coming from behind him. from back where his house was. worried that it might be a sign of something worse to come, though, he quickly continued on, without looking back.)~~

***

He wasn't certain if the sun had set or risen by the time he noticed Arthur was asleep.

The sky was covered in dark clouds. Possibly smoke, too. Even though they were a little ways away from Gotham by now, things still seemed to be as bad as they were in town. Most of the trees were burnt, split in two, or hardly even _there_ at all.

Whatever had happened, it _clearly_ hadn't only affected Gotham.

Although he himself was tired, Simon simply took a moment to breathe, readjusted his hold on Arthur, and continued on.

***

He wasn't sure how many days had passed.

Part of him was still convinced this was just some _elaborate nightmare_. That he'd wake up at some point, and everything would be _fine_ , and his family would be alive and waiting for him.

But unless that happened, the two of them were on their own.

Any time they came across some sort of food or water supply, Simon had given the majority to Arthur. Even as his own stomach growled, and as his throat felt like a desert, he kept it up.

He wasn't even sure if he'd slept _at all_ since beginning this possibly-fruitless journey to safety.

~~(the area around his eyes hurt. his sight was blurring.~~

~~and yet he continued with this anyway.)~~

***

Finally, at some point, he heard a voice.

He was so exhausted he could barely make out what they were saying ~~(they sounded panicked, for some reason)~~ , but voices likely meant safety, so Simon immediately moved towards them.

Everything was a blur from that point. He remembered nearly tipping over, remembered a pair of arms quickly catching him, and what sounded like someone yelling orders at someone else. He remembered Arthur being carefully taken from him, and being too _exhausted_ to do anything more than reach out towards him.

The last he remembered before everything went black was being lifted up & held against a warm body, and the person holding him seemingly trying to reassure him.

***

When he finally woke up, it took a moment for him to realize what was going on.

Simon _vaguely_ remembered a few things. He remembered fire, and rubble, and a blonde-haired boy.

For a moment, he wondered if that really _was_ just a dream.

...but this wasn't his room.

He didn't _know_ where this was.

He quickly shot up into a sitting position, frantically looking around. He wasn't sure where he was, but this _wasn't_ his room, this _wasn't_ his house, this wasn't _Gotham_.

~~_It's gone. It's really gone._ ~~

~~_they're all gone_ ~~

~~_mom_ ~~

~~_dad_ ~~

~~**_mira_ ** ~~

He couldn't tell when he'd started crying, _screaming_ , but all he knew at that moment was that he _couldn't breathe_.

~~(they're gone they're gone they're all dead and they're never coming back)~~

People came rushing towards him, seemingly attempting to calm him down, but all he could was yell at them to just _go away_.

He stayed there for _god knows_ how long, screaming and sobbing and feebly calling out for his family. Knowing fully well that they were gone, dead, _that he'd never see them again_ , yet _unable_ to accept it.

He stayed there like that, unaware of the man silently looking into the room, soft eyes watching him closely.

Unaware of the blonde boy that stood beside the man, heart filled with nothing but concern for his savior.


	2. a gentle smile & kind words do wonders to the heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the staff here seem to believe the traumatized boy who rejects their every attempt to aid him is a lost cause.
> 
> But, luckily, one person doesn't seem to have gotten the memo.
> 
> (In which a certain esteemed medic takes in one child, and does his best to extend his hand to another.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ever since i had the idea for this guy i've wanted to write him and NOW I CAN YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> when writing terrances' lines i imagined him having the same voice as sojiro from persona 5 so there boom there's a voiceclaim for at least one OC

Not many people came in to see Simon after his first outburst. And even if they did, it was always just to check up on his physical health, or deliver food, or some other thing he felt was minor at this point.

Any attempts at trying to talk to him, or to get him to open up about what happened, though, were met with either complete silence, or or quiet demands to just _go away_.

Then there were the _nightmares_. Dreams of _fire_ and _rubble_ and the smell of _burning flesh and **blood** -_

 _Every time_ , he'd wake up screaming and sobbing all over again, and _every time_ , any attempts from those who heard him to try and console him were responded to with nothing but more yelling and more _insistent_ demands to just _**leave him alone.**_

~~(they said it was ok they said it'd all be ok but its not its **NOT** -)~~

He was starting to overhear some people mentioning how he might just be a lost cause.

He wasn't really sure they were wrong.

***

It was about a week and a half later that someone finally did something right.

The man who entered the room was somewhat familiar. He was one of many who would often come in for checkups, and always seemed to linger a little afterwards before actually leaving.

The current visit, though, didn't make much sense. He'd already had one recently, and that was with a different person, yeah, but he _had_ to have been told such, so he couldn't possibly be there for that reason.

...it took him a moment to notice the pot and cups he was carrying.

"I'll be the first to admit that the food and drink given to patients here isn't the best." His voice was deep, yet soft. "So, I had the idea to give you at least _one_ decent thing while you're stuck here."

...tea.

It smelled like tea. Something about this particular scent was _familiar_ , though...

"I've noticed during the examinations that you tend to be somewhat tense, possibly without even realizing it." As he spoke, the man began pouring the liquid into the two cups. "The warmth will help settle your nerves, hopefully."

...Simon wasn't entirely sure if he trusted this. The man _seemed_ nice, but...there wasn't any sort of proof that he _wouldn't_ be as pushy about getting him to talk or let anyone in as the rest of the staff here. He could just be doing this to get answers out of him, rather than out of any sort of _genuine kindness_.

...on the other hand, though, that tea smelled _really_ good. And honestly, the hospital's idea of a meal was _kind of_ as bad as the man said.

With a near silent sigh, he took the cup once it was offered to him. For a minute, he simply stared at it, allowing the warmth to seep through his hand, before taking a small sip.

Ok, yeah, he _definitely_ knew this flavor.

"...chamomile."

The man quickly looked at Simon the moment he spoke. His eyes were still downcast, and his voice was incredibly quiet, but right now, there was really only _one_ person he could be speaking to. "It's...it's chamomile tea, right?"

For a moment, the man seemed surprised...but rather than point out that the boy had actually _spoken_ to someone, in some way that wasn't screaming or crying, he simply smiled again.

"That's right. You sure know your stuff, don't you, kiddo?"

***

He came back almost every day, with all sorts of flavors of tea (some that Simon hadn't even _heard_ about), and slowly, he began to get to know him better.

The man's name was Terrance. He was a licensed medic, as well as a researcher for the Midgard Library, which was apparently where the very hospital Simon was staying at was located. He seemed to work solo most of the time, though he'd occasionally team up with other researchers for more in-depth things. He had a daughter who was a field researcher and a professional alchemist, and who was currently out on a trip with some of her co-workers.

A couple days into this...sort-of friendship, Simon finally asked if Terrance was trying to get him to open up about what happened. It was quiet, a little scared, because there was this small fear that it either _was,_ or that, either way, the other would get mad.

Instead, he simply shook his head with a reassuring smile. "Only if you're ever truly ready to speak about it yourself."

"...what if I _never_ want to?"

"That's perfectly acceptable as well. I won't force you to bring up anything you wish to keep to yourself."

That night had been the first time since coming here that he'd cried _quietly_ , and the first time he'd done so out of sheer _relief_ , rather than grief or fear.

***

Eventually, something occurred to him.

The blonde boy. The one who, if what he'd told him all that time ago was accurate, was named Arthur. All this time, Simon had been so focused on _himself_ , that'd he'd barely given the younger child a thought.

When he finally brought this up...it almost seemed as if Terrance had been _waiting_ for him to ask, as, with a light chuckle, he'd immediately looked towards the doorway.

"Well? You heard him."

On cue, Arthur peeked into the room. He definitely looked a _lot_ better than when Simon had last saw him; any injuries seemed healed, and he was in a better set of clothes. A large piece of red cloth was looped around his neck, almost like a makeshift scarf.

The younger boy quickly ran in, instantly clinging to to Terrance, and _sorta_ hiding behind him, yet still gazing at Simon with curiosity in his eyes. The man gently ruffled his hair before speaking again.

"I took him in pretty soon after you two arrived here. He's come along during a few of my visits, but always seemed unsure about whether to come in or not."

Then, with a softer gaze,

"I think the kid's been worried about you."

For a little while, Simon wasn't sure what to say to that. Here he was, so selfishly focused on _himself_ and his _own_ problems, hardly even giving Arthur a thought, and yet...

Here the boy was anyway, the boy he'd worked _tirelessly_ to try and help survive, now seemingly fretting over _him_.

_...do I even deserve that sort of worry?_

Despite not responding to those words, and honestly mostly ignoring the other boy, Arthur kept coming with Terrance during his visits. The boys never spoke to each other, yet even so, it eventually became a sort of "new normal".

For some reason, having someone there who'd gone through the same stuff he had...it almost felt _reassuring_.

***

Everything came to a head one particular night.

He hadn't had a particularly bad nightmare in a while. They still came, but they seemed to be less... _severe_ than they were at first.

...he should have known not to get his hopes up.

It was the same as always. Pinned down by the rubble so he couldn't _run_ , surrounded by a wall of fire, surrounded by _blood_ ~~(whether it was his own or not, he could hardly tell)~~ and the long-dead corpses of his family, all perfectly visible despite having not even _seen_ them when _everything ended-_

Like all nights, he woke up screaming, crying, unable to even _breathe_.

Like all nights, staff rushed in, attempting to calm him down to no avail.

...unlike all nights, a familiar voice broke through, seemingly _admonishing_ the staff for what they were doing.

Eventually the room seemed to clear out, and through the _fear_ muddling his senses and the _cries_ & ragged breaths still escaping him, one thing eventually broke through.

"Kid. Kiddo. _Simon._ "

_It's Terrance._

It was just him. Somehow, he could just _feel_ like they were the only two in the room.

"Kid. Can you hear me? Nod if you can hear me."

It was tough, and some part of him still wanted to just shove him away, but after a few moments, he shakily nodded his head.

"Okay, good." A pause, then a bit of shifting, then...

"I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder. Is that alright?"

A few moments...then another shaky nod.

Except, when Terrance _did_ actually place his hand on his shoulder, something in Simon seemed to just _break_ , and he almost _instantly_ lunged forward, clinging to the man like his life _depended on it_.

He seemed shocked at first, but quickly, Terrance wrapped an arm around the boy, gently rubbing his back. "Alright. I get it. Just...try and follow my breathing, alright?"

He tried. It was hard, because some part of him _still_ wanted to shove him away, and his breathing was so out of control it felt like he'd _never_ settle down, but...

Eventually.

Eventually, it worked.

Eventually, he was just clinging to Terrance, quiet sobs still escaping him, as the man held him close, muttering lowly "i'm right here" and "you'll be fine".

And for once, he believed those kinds of words.

***

The next day, Terrance walked in, sat down, and immediately spoke.

"Simon, do you want to come stay with me?"

...he thought on it for a moment.

He thought of this place, both the hospital and Midgard as a whole, and even though he'd only seen one part of it, some curious part of him wanted to see it _all_.

He thought of Terrance, who'd been so _kind_ and _patient_ , willing to let the boy take as long as he needed to finally pull himself together. Who shared tea with him and told him stories about what he'd researched and was now offering him a _home_.

He thought of Arthur, the boy he'd worked so hard to save, and how even though they'd not exchanged a word since coming here, he still felt some sort of connection to him.

A few hours later, he was in Terrance's house, small but homely, and Arthur had run up to him the _moment_ he saw him, wrapping his arms around him when he'd _barely_ walked past the door.

Terrance had simply smiled at the sight.

"Well, kiddo...welcome home."

He'd cried again, but this time out of _relief_ and _joy_ and a few other emotions he couldn't place.

That night, he had the first truly peaceful sleep he'd ever had since first arriving here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> terrance appearance: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/571128294217482245/736463736197480499/Terrance_Sanford.png
> 
> he's a good man....tea medic dad


End file.
